Renegade
by Fellgrave
Summary: Giant robots wreaked havoc across the globe. Aliens invaded New York. Evils new and old are rising from the shadows. In the midst of it all Kim Possible has gone missing. With Ron in a coma and no-one else to turn to, Shego is approached with an unusual deal. She'll need every ally she can as the trail leads to Hong Kong, and right into the middle of a gang war... AU/Fusion
1. Chapter 1

The sounds of trade, legal and otherwise, drifted off Victoria Harbor and into the maze of warehouses and processing facilities that lined the water's edge despite the late hour. The lights of the Hong Kong reflected off a pair of lenses as they focused on a particular warehouse. From atop the roof of a nearby building they tracked the movements of several figures patrolling the fenced area in front of the warehouse's entrance. Those closer to the building and sitting underneath the lights had their hands on suspicious bulges beneath their heavy winter jackets, while those in the shadows carried their sub-machine guns openly.

After several repeated patrols the binoculars were lowered and placed back into a nearby duffel bag. It's owner picked up the porcelain mask lying next to the bag, painted to look like a fox, and quickly put it on before getting to her feat. She leaned down and rustled through her bag for a few seconds before pulling out a large crossbow and a coil of cable that she lay at her feet.

The masked woman drew in a deep breath and sighted along the crossbow bolt, aligning with her target before pulling the trigger. There was a soft twang as the tension was discharged, followed by an all but inaudible hiss as the bolt traveled through the air before embedding itself in the brick wall of the warehouse.

She quickly tied the other end of the cable around a nearby air vent before slinging the duffel bag over her shoulder. Grabbing the crossbow and holding it over the cable, she leapt from the roof and zipped along the cable and across the dark street below.

Reaching the warehouse, the masked woman planted her feet against the wall and flipped off of it, spinning in the air a couple times before planting both feet solidly onto the head of one of the men patrolling the yard. He didn't even have enough time to be surprised as he crumpled under the sudden impact and had his head driven into the ground.

Bouncing off her victim and moving further into the shadows, the masked woman dropped into a head swivelled from side to side as she tracked her targets. She turned in place, sliding one foot just above the ground, as she pulled back the string on her crossbow. Pale liquid sloshed in it's container as another bolt slid into place and the wire of the crossbow was drawn back in one smooth movement. Another twang and hiss was followed by a muffled grunt as another man dropped to the ground.

Two more guards followed their fellows into unconsciousness in the cool night air as those that remained began to look nervous, fidgeting and fingering their guns while their eyes darted from shadow to shadow, searching for the person responsible for their friends' disappearances.

It didn't help them at all when the lights above their heads suddenly shattered, dowsing the area in darkness. One of the guards managed to give off a strangled scream before he was dragged around the corner in a sleeper hold. The last three exchanged glances before hastily drawing their own sub-machine guns.

A scream of pain caused them to spin, the muzzle flashes from their weapons discharging offering flickering moments of light, before each source was silenced until one remained.

The last guard stared around with panic filled eyes as he ran for the door. Just as he put a hand on the handle, a soft feminine voice whispered in his ear. "Mistake number one, you turned your back on someone who just took out all your friends. Your second mistake was thinking I'd let you warn everyone else."

The guard had only a moments to try and understand what was being said, as he had only a passing familiarity with English, and then the moment passed and he felt a brief sensation of pain at the base of his neck. Then, nothing but darkness.

The masked woman removed her hand from the guards neck as she lowered his body to the ground, wiping off the syringe on the back of his shirt and slipping it back into its case on her belt, before ripping off his sleeve to reveal the stylized tattoo of a curling monkey in green covering the guard's shoulder.

She let him drop back to the ground as she pulled out a zip-tie and wrapped it around his wrists before doing the same to the other unconscious guards. They were dragged to the edge of the property before the masked woman returned to the building's entrance.

She put her ear to the door and hissed softly. Leaning back, she set her duffel bag on the ground before retrieving a pair of small vials from within. She pressed them one at a time against the thick backs of her gloves, giving them a sharp twist that drained the contents into the gloves' reservoirs. A pleasant chillness began to radiate out from the drains as the vials' contents were distributed by the hidden pipes and mechanisms in the gloves. Once both vials were empty she put them back into the bag and stood up, studying the door with a trained eye.

Suddenly the area was drowned in light as powerful floodlights turned on with an audible buzz. The lithe figure let the hood of her jacket fall back as the light glinted against startling cobalt blue hair. The sounds of muted conversation and the cocking of hammers drifted through the door.

"Well if that's the way you want to play it," she muttered as she dropped into a roll, the space she had occupied filled with a wave of lead. Without breaking stride she rolled back to her feet and kicked in the warehouse's door. Her hands twitched before igniting into pale blue flames. Cupping her hands in front of her face, the masked bluenette waited a moment before tossing the ball of gathered flame through the open door way.

As she dashed inside to take advantage of the panic she'd caused and before any of the guards could get a proper bead on her, the masked woman failed to notice the pair of eyes watching her carefully from across the street.

Her mind was focused solely on the task in front of her. In moments she was on the first of the shocked thugs. It helped that the interior of the warehouse was mostly empty space beyond a darkened manager's office and some large shipping containers. The guard received a knee to the gut, bowing him over before the masked woman rolled over his back and into the midst of the mob.

The second guard was just beginning to get over his disorientation and trying to raise his weapon when the bluenette grabbed his hands with hers. He tried to let out a scream as the flames ate at his flesh, only to be cut off as the masked woman pulled him forward and slammed her head into his chin.

The remaining guards had dropped their pistols and sub-machine guns in exchange for knives, bats, chains and axes. The masked intruder let the unconscious thug collapse as she regarded the others with a disdainful tilt of her head. Behind her mask she scrunched her nose at the smell of cooked meat that filled the air.

With a roar the thugs charged as one. The bluenette flowed around the overextended strike from the closest thug, hammering a trio of blows into his side, before continuing on. The guards were fighting scared, and it showed. Their attacks were hesitant, their every movement unsure, and the woman in the fox mask moved through them with a dancer's grace.

Her leg flickered and one guard dropped to the ground, screaming as he clutched his shattered knee. A second flicker and he fell silent. The flames on her hands subsided as she slapped them against the ears of the next closest guard. The bluenette grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into the path of an incoming aluminum bat.

As he slumped to the ground she stepped forwards into the bat wielder's reach and grabbed his outstretched arm. Pulling it towards her, she spun on her foot, his chest bumping up against her back and his breath bursting out of his mouth next to his ear as she drove her elbow into his gut. She slammed her head backwards, wincing internally at the loud crack, and grabbed the bat before it could hit the ground.

She turned around to face the last guard, the bat resting against her shoulder, her head cocked and eyeing him the way a hawk might eye a rabbit. He held his knife out in front of him as if it was a sword. The masked woman made a show of setting the bat on the ground before holding out her hand to the guard, curling her fingers to beckon him on.

He charged silently, eyes intent and focused solely on guiding his knife to its target. The bluenette deftly redirected the first strike with a deft tap on his wrist. The guard grinned as a second knife slipped into his free hand. His blade scored a line across her thigh before she could jump back and out of his reach. The guard's grin widened as he held up the bloodstained knife like a trophy.

The two of them stood about a foot from each other, and their eyes met, both dark and heavy with purpose. The guard was still grinning as the masked woman launched a snap kick that collided with his chin and shattered his jaw. The warehouse echoed with the ring of metal as his knives slipped from his slack fingers and bounced against the concrete floor.

The masked woman left the guards where they lay and walked past the two shipping containers to the warehouse's office. She eyed the room carefully, ignoring the computer and the file cabinet, before settling her gaze on carved jade relief hanging on the wall. The bluenette pulled it away and grinned at the safe that the relief had been hiding.

The masked woman reached into her pocket and pulled out another vial. She carefully emptied its semi-gelatinous contents onto the safe's hinges. Stepping around the corner, she lit up one glove and tossed a small fireball at the safe before taking cover. There was an explosive thump as the compound detonated.

Grinning behind her mask, the intruder gingerly pulled away the smoking door, revealing all of the safe's contents. She reached inside and pulled out a pile of books and cash. She filled her arms with as much as she could carry before heading back towards the warehouse entrance. She carefully stepped around the unconscious guards and kept a cautious eye on the street before stuffing her ill-gotten gains into her duffel bag.

She repeated the trip until the safe was empty. The masked woman stood up and turned to eye the two shipping containers. "Now," she muttered under her breath. "If I was trafficking in people, where would I put them?" She could go through the ledgers she'd grabbed, or she could simply go for the container that was locked and chained shut. "Survey says, behind door number two."

She studied the lock for a few minutes, pulling it and twisting it around, before igniting her gloves. The lock began to heat up and started to glow as she held her hands around it. When the heat became too much for her arms, which weren't as well protected as her hands, she took a step back and doused the flames on her gloves.

With a muffled grunt the masked woman raised her leg and brought her foot down on the glowing lock. The heat stressed metal shattered explosively. A shard of hot metal traced a line across her arm, going through the fabric of her sleeve like it wasn't even there. She hissed in pain but grit her teeth to keep from flinching. The chains were tossed aside as she grabbed the door and hauled it open.

Inside a group of girls, ranging from prepubescent to being just shy of adulthood, huddled together and stared at the bluenette with looks ranging of fear. The girls flinched as the woman took a step towards them. She stopped immediately and held her hands up. She backed out of the container and pushed the door open further, until the girls could see some of the unconscious guards on the floor. The first few who noticed stared with wide eyes before turning to the others. The masked woman watched the warehouse as the girls huddled together in a hushed conversation.

All the while the bluenette was studying them carefully. Her hands clenched tightly as she took in their almost uniform gauntness and the dirt and grime coating them. Her teeth ground against each other as she noted that one of the girls clutched a torn dress that barely covered anything anymore. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to know one of the thugs had decided to help himself to a sample of the goods he was guarding.

Finally the girls seemed to have arrived at a decision as they got to their feet, the stronger among them helping those who could stand on their own. They gestured their thanks to the blue haired woman as they started to move past her. They paused as she held up a hand, their eyes darting between each other and the warehouse exit.

The masked woman shrugged off her hoodie, revealing the bulletproof vest sitting over a sweat-stained tank top, and putting several scars on her arms on full display. A toss of her head made her hair, free of the constraints of the hood, settle in long flowing waves down to the small of her back. She tossed the jacket at the girl with the torn clothes. The girl quickly tossed aside her old clothes as the masked woman averted her eyes.

When the she turned back the girl was staring at her gratefully as she snuggled in the oversized fox masked woman gestured between the torn clothes and the unconscious guards. It took a few minutes before the girl seemed to understand what the bluenette was trying to get across before pointing a trembling hand to the guard who had used the aluminum bat.

The bluenette nodded slowly and waved the girls towards the door, giving the apparent leaders a small map with directions in several different languages on the back side. She watched them until they disappeared around the corner. Now, her part was done. Which meant she should have left immediately, given she achieved all her objectives.

Alone, the masked woman turned back to her handiwork. She stared at the guard the girl had identified as her attacker. Her hands twitched and began to reach towards his neck almost of their own accord. She was inches from closing over his neck when someone cleared their throat and she froze.

"Damn, I know I've got a temper," the bluenette's head whipped around to the door and her gloves ignited on reflex. "But this is something else."

" _Durak_!" The fox masked woman flinched and one hand moved halfway towards her mouth before she could stop it.

Shego stood in the open door, surveying the devastation with a raised brow. The green and black clad woman stepped almost daintily over the first unconscious guard. Her eyes paused at the sight of the bubbling skin on the first guard's hands before moving to the bluenette's gloves. After a moment they moved upwards, taking in the visible scars and muscles on the fox masked woman's body.

"Well now, the Triad's pesky fox spirit is a Russkie, imagine that." Shego smirked at the bluenette. "You're pretty far from home, ain't ya?"

"I could say the same of you." The masked woman's voice seemed to echo in a way that wasn't due to the warehouse's natural acoustics. "That's a better question. Why are you here?"

"Who, me?" Shego affected an innocent look. "I was just in the neighborhood waiting to do my job when I heard the most interesting rumor. Care to guess what it was about?"

"No, but I imagine you'll tell me anyway."

The humor faded from Shego's eyes as she glared at the bluenette. "You definitely suck the fun out of things like a Russkie."

"I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment." The fox masked woman started to edge her way towards the wall opposite Shego. "So, are you actually going to tell me why you're here, or do we have to play twenty questions first? Because I'm sure these boys' friends would just love to sit down and join us for a chat when they get here. "

"Damn, kitten's got some claws on her." Shego grinned as she pushed off the wall and walked over to stand in the middle of the hall. "Let's have a little talk then. See, I'm looking for certain someone..."


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, when you said you wanted to meet with me, I honestly wasn't expecting to actually meet with you in person." The people passing by the small cafe paid little mind to the woman in the black dress as she rested her elbows on the table and propped her head against the palm of her hand. She raised her brow at the short teen seated across from her. "This is what, the second, third time you've left your house in your whole life?"

"Seventh, actually." Wade Load, consummate genius and hacker extraordinaire, had to fight to keep his distaste for the current situation from showing on his face, though judging by the smirk on Shego's face, it seemed he wasn't fighting hard enough.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter." Shego rolled her eyes. "Why I'm here on the other hand, that does. So spill already short stuff, before I get bored and leave."

With that he gave up the fight entirely and his face twisted into the grimace of someone who's bitten into something sour and ill-tasting. His expression caused the young woman to chuckle and lean back in her seat.

"Aren't you little Mister Sunshine. What's wrong? Someone piss on one of your computers? Or maybe one of favorite porn sites got shut down, is that it?" Wade began to grind his teeth and the villainess only laughed louder at his reaction.

"Oh relax, it's not like anyone died." Her laughter ceased immediately as Wade reflexively went blank-faced, something he immediately berated himself for. "Wait, seriously? Someone got killed, so you spent your time tracking me down?"

She leaned forwards again and stared into his eyes with a flat and serious expression on her face. "Alright, I'll bite, who died?"

Wade sighed. He hadn't meant to give away that tidbit of information yet, but there was still a chance he could turn his slip to his advantage. It worked in Destiny \ Halt Dusk after all, and that wasn't too different from real life, for a visual novel at any rate. Well, that and he was rather sure that he could catch her off guard with the full set of details.

"Discharge."

The silence that dropped over the table was harsh enough to push aside the everyday noise that had filled the air.

"What." Shego's voice is flat and the word comes out more as a statement than question.

The teen hacker reached down beside him and grabbed the newspaper leaning against the leg of his chair before throwing it onto the table. The cover photo displayed a body hidden beneath a pale sheet, and it was easy to tell what had likely occurred given the blood staining the floor. The caption ran below the image, doubling as the headline for the paper. " _The former high profile enemy of Team Go, Lance Alfvén, also known as the villain Discharge, is dead_."

There was a pause as the information sunk in, and then came the question that Wade had been dreading. "Well I'll be damned — which, now that I think about it, I probably am already. So, who killed him?" She leaned back and tapped her chin with her finger. "No way it was Mr. Straightlaced Hego. The Wego's wouldn't have had it in them. I guess Mego could've done it. He'd definitely love the —"

"It wasn't any of them." Shego glared at the hacker for his interruption but he pressed on. "It was the only person, to be frank, who scares me more than you do. The only person I know you can track down for me." Wade stared across the table at the proverbial devil he intended to make a deal with, and wondered just where it was that everything had so utterly and completely derailed.

"Kim's missing, and I need _you_ to find her."


	3. Chapter 3

A thousand miles away another meeting was taking place. Officially, the meeting place didn't exist, the meeting never happened, and the two people within had never spoken to another.

"Betty," Nick Fury greeted with what was for him, at least, a smile. "You look well. How's your mother doing? I heard your father managed to visit her again."

Betty 'Director' Masters smiled sadly back at her fellow Director. "Yeah, just for a little while. He actually managed to make it a couple days this time, which is nice. You're looking pretty good yourself Nick. New minder?" Betty tilted her head towards the door.

"Couple of kids got hold of a gun that was supposed to have been picked up in our sweep. They went on a little joyride with it. Caused enough damage that the Council felt it necessary for me to have security when I go out it public, now that SHIELD is out in the open."

"Not exactly what I meant." Betty raised an eyebrow. "I heard about Coulson. You have my condolences, he was good man and a better agent."

Fury shook his head. "Should know better than to trust the grapevine Betty, Coulson managed to scrape through. Give it a bit of time and he'll be fine."

"Really?" Betty gave Fury a sidelong glance. "I heard he was in bad shape. The kind of shape you can't fix."

Fury simply offered her a smug grin. "Don't worry about it Betty. SHIELD takes care of its own. Which brings us to why I arranged this," he stated as the humour fell from his face. "What do you have for me?"

"Gemini's moving again. Intel says he's been in meetings almost every week with Orion."

"Damn Leviathan is worse than Hydra at staying dead." Fury grimaced and rubbed his forehead. "I hate to spring this on you, but I'm gonna call in that marker now."

"What do you want Nick?"

"Possible."

Betty sighed. "You know why I refused to let you do that the last time you asked me. Why should I listen now?"

"Because your principal protest doesn't apply to her any more. She's crossed the line that kept her out of the big leagues. Even if she doesn't know it yet."

"Fine," the female Director said after a long silence. She absently rubbed at her eye patch. "I'd have loved to have her, but I suppose she's no longer a perfect fit for Global Justice. I'm not going to be the one to introduce you or your organization to her though, that's something you'll have to do yourself."

Nick simply grunted. He knew better than most why his fellow Director preferred not to deal with his organization and knew not to push her on it. "I'll have Coulson do it once he's feeling better. Where is Possible by the way?"

"Well," Nick Fury's eye widened as Betty Masters, one of few people he truly respected, began to blush and fidget like a rank recruit. "About that, you see, we might have... lost her?"

"You, did, _WHAT_?"


	4. Chapter 4

For a moment Shego expected Rod Serling to walk out from inside the cafe. Her mouth moved soundlessly as her mind worked to reconcile the idea of Kim Possible being a killer with the annoying girl she'd constantly fought and beaten.

Not always though. A memory of a stormy night several months previous flashed across her mind and she closed her mouth. In retrospect she could see the potential that had been in the redhead's eyes. It was something she should have noticed, although several thousand volts of electricity were a hell of a distraction.

Shego gave her head a shake. "How?"

It was a twofold question, and the look in her eyes delivered the message that her voice couldn't. How did Discharge die, when he had proven capable of surviving just about anything Team Go had thrown at him; and how had been put into a situation where he was killed in the first place, since he had been held in Go City's maximum security prison.

"Aviarius broke out alongside Electronique and their escape caused enough damage to the prison's internal power systems to shut down Discharge's containment cell. With your brothers— I mean Team Go," Wade corrected quickly as Shego let out a low growl. " Team Go too busy dealing with the others, the city had no other option but to call in Kim to deal with the bank he was robbing after he escaped."

"The _official_ cause of death was from a police sniper," Wade stated sarcastically. "Of course, the fact that Discharge was killed inside the bank vault and well out of reach of a sniper hasn't been included on any of the public reports. Unfortunately it looks like someone inside already leaked it to the press. So far only a few low-key tabloids and a couple minor newspapers have been able to get past GJ's censors, but it's only a matter of time before it hits the mainstream media."

Wade frowned at the table. Shego took advantage of the pause to snag a glass of water from a passing waiter. He turned to question her only to shut his mouth with an audible click and retreat back inside the cafe at the look she gave him.

"So? What's the big deal already? Kimmie kicked the guy around a bit before the SWAT team dropped him or something?" Shego prompted when the hacker continued to brood.

"A pair of nine millimeters to the face; that's what the autopsy listed as the cause of death. Bastard probably didn't even realize what he was looking at. Ballistics match the bullets to the service pistol of one of the seven security guards Discharge killed while robbing the bank, and the fingerprints on it were Kim's. Of course, it helped that the police found her holding it when they finally arrived."

Shego let out a low whistle, impressed despite herself. Discharge had been the bane of her existence, quite literally, as he had developed some form of technology that granted him to generate and control plasma, even her own. Hego never let her forget that she needed his help to deal with the villain whenever he showed up to make trouble.

"Can't say I expected that. What pushed her over the line?" she asked as she read through the article. She had only made it part way through the page before throwing it down in disgust. For the most part the article seemed focused on painting Kim in the worst light possible, as some thrill-seeking adrenaline junky who couldn't get enough from just beating up her foes and had moved on to killing them as the next big rush. Although several pages were more favorably devoted to covering the rebuilding efforts in New York after the alien invasion a couple months ago, she certainly wouldn't be picking up another copy of the Daily Bugle anytime soon.

Wade stared silently into the distance with a furrowed brow until Shego coughed discreetly. The genius gave his head a shake before sighing and pointing to the newspaper.

"What the media doesn't know, yet, is that before Kim arrived Discharge was holding several of the bank's customers and tellers hostage, or so he claimed. If he had ever kept any of them as hostages in the first place, he'd killed them long before Kim arrived."

Shego leaned back and shook her head. In an attempt to distract herself from long buried memories, she frowned and pointed out an oddity she had noticed earlier.

"That still doesn't explain why you want _my_ help. I can see where she was coming from, hell, next time I see her I may give her a pass for services rendered, if she let's me. If you don't recall, we parted on rather unfriendly terms last time we met. Bueno Nacho Headquarters, radio tower, lots of electricity, any of this ringing a bell?"

"Trust me," Wade said with a grimace. "I'm enjoying this as little as you are."

"Then why not have the sidekick look for her? I mean, sure he's a buffoon, but the two of you have worked well enough together before, especially considering the amount of trouble he causes Monty. Why me?"

"Why you?" Wade repeated bitterly. "You're the only one I can turn to."

"Oh come on, the buffoon-"

"Is in a coma," Wade cut in, silencing Shego immediately. He waited to see if she would interrupt and continued after a moment when she simply stared at him. "If Kim hadn't killed Discharge when she did, Ron would probably be in the ground instead of a hospital."

Resting her chin on the palm of her hand, Shego tapped her cheek absently. She was tempted to make a smart remark, but it didn't feel right. Shego had her own demons, some much worse than others, and it looked scarily enough like one of them had gotten loose to ruin another life.

"Right, no offense, but honestly I'm not surprised the Buffoon hasn't gotten injured like that already. He's not important though, so what happened to Pri— to Kim?" she recorrected quickly, though Wade still raised a brow at her slip.

"Global Justice arranged for everything to be kept quiet and for Kim to take a break from all the attention while Ron recovered in a private facility. You know, an opportunity to deal with everything and recover away from it all. It didn't help that Ron's parents tore into her for getting him hurt like this."

Shego snorted. "And I'm sure Kimmie took that well. Probably already felt like it was all her fault and she just let everyone else pile on the guilt like the good little hero she is."

Wade glared at her. "At any rate, GJ gave Kim a ticket for a cruise around the world on a ship where they could keep a close but hidden eye on her."

"So they put her in confined space away from her support network without supplying a shrink or even a token display that they were there looking out for her and just expected her to magically get better? Good to see that the people in charge of protecting everyone are still as stupid as they were when I was young. Let me guess, Kimmie hurt one of them playing shuffleboard?"

Wade took in a calming breath as the conversation reached the reason he had arranged the meeting.

"Three days after the ship left port Kim disappeared." Shego narrowed her eyes and leaned closer as Wade continued. "No signs of a struggle, most of her tools and clothes still there, and only a small bag missing along with her grapple gun. No message, no clues, just one minute she was there, the next, poof. GJ's been too busy with dealing with that basket-case Summers in D.C. to devote more than a ghost shift towards finding her."

Shego snorted in derision. "I've heard of him. Honestly, if these 'mutants' were so common, you'd think we'd have heard of them by now. And if you say one word about pots and kettles you'll find out what it's like to be one over an open flame."

"Right right," Wade said hastily as his eyes darted nervously about the cafe. "Anyway, GJ's has too much on their plate already without having to track down a notoriously free spirited teenager that vanished of her own free will and I really don't have any other option. I've got some pocket money from a few patents of mine that I can spare to cover your services."

"Really?" Shego leaned back and studied her nails. "I doubt you could afford my rates. How much could you possibly have to offer me?Job huh?"

"Two and a half million dollars."

Shego straightened in her chair and gave the hacker a grin that sent a shiver down Wade's spine. "Well you know what they say, money talks. But that isn't quite speaking loudly enough."

"Five million and final offer. I'm sure Team Impossible would be willing to work for that much." It would take a bit of time to put that much money into his accounts, but it would be worth it.

Shego hemmed and hawed over the decision for a few moments before chuckling to herself. "Toss in a favor from you and you can consider myself hired," she said and extended her hand across the table. Wade gave it a long look before taking it.

Despite all the precautions and contingencies he had prepared, Wade couldn't shake the feeling that he was holding hands with the devil. He just hoped the damnation was worth it.


	5. Chapter 5

The moment her plane touched down Shego grabbed her phone from the pocket of her black slacks. Combined with the simple green-trimmed black jacket she had on and the make-up she had applied to disguise the green tint to her skin, her appearance was subtly different enough that she would most likely be overlooked. She flipped through her contacts lists before selecting the sole number lacking any identification.

"I'm here. Are you absolutely sure that your information is legit?"

"Absolutely," answered Wade as a quiet tapping filled the background. "My contact in the Ministry of State Security said he got a report of a young woman close to Kim's description enter the the city through one of the channels monitored by Organized Crime and Triad bureau."

Shego let out a quiet sigh as she walked over to the airport terminal. "Let me guess, they've got no clue where she went?"

"Got it in one," Wade remarked dryly. "I've been doing some digging and I'll let you know when I find something."

"So I'm on my own here?" Shego asked as she glared ineffectually at the customs agent checking her passport. The man barely looked at her past making sure her faced matched the idea before typing a few commands into his computer and handing the passport back. Shego bit back a growl and grabbed it before continuing on her way.

"Sorry. I'm doing my best with the files I've received, but decrypting and then translating them takes time. I'll keep you posted though."

Shego nodded and moved to end the call when a thought occurred to her. "Did you say you had contacts in the Ministry of State Security? As in, China's Ministry of State Security?"

"Uh... Can you forget I said that?"

"Sure, but you owe me one." Shego paused for a moment before adding," And that's on top of the massive favor I'm doing for you in being her in the first place."

A quiet grunt signalled Wade's unhappy acquiescence before he disconnected the line. Shego smirked at nothing as she folded up her phone and slid it back into her pocket. Thankfully for her, the flight she had taken had arrived a half hour past midnight, and for the most part the airport was empty of waiting travellers.

She retrieved her bag from the carousel before heading out to the long term parking building. One of many cars she had stashed away, most hidden in plain sight in similar places in cities all over the world, was waiting for her as she exited the elevator onto the seventh floor.

A quickly typed command into her phone and the car unlocked, the back opening automatically. She quickly tossed her bag inside, uncaring of how it landed, before closing the back hatch. Opening the driver's side door, Shego eased back in the plush leather seat of her custom Grand Sport Vitesse, the body matte black with sections of neon green, as she worked out some of the kinks she had gained during the flight. Flying first class on a commercial jetliner, while good for traveling incognito, was killer on her back when compared to the comfort of her private jet. It was unfortunate, but discretion occasionally won out over comfort.

Turning the key in the ignition she hummed pleasantly as the engine roared to life and thrummed beneath her fingertips. She shuddered in pleasure as the vibrations ran through her entire body, from the base of her spine all the way to her head and toes. Oh yes, she had certainly made a wise investment in acquiring this car. She'd have to see about replacing some of her other cars as well.

She eased her ride out onto the highway and across the bridge into Hong Kong island. Despite what she'd told Nerdlinger, she wasn't completely on her own. She grinned as she drove down Lockhart road. Despite the late hour, Wanchai was still a buzzing hive of activity as tourists and locals alike gathered in the district of nightclubs, bars and pubs like moths to a flame. She took a turn onto a southbound side street and followed it through until it met up with another back street. She found an open spot at the corner and pulled her car over.

She pulled out a towel from the glove compartment and wiped off her makeup before getting out of the car. She activated the car's anti-thief system, a purchase that she did find somewhat ironic given her profession, and quickly headed inside. Anyone stupid enough to try and jack her car would be in for a very rude surprise and a rather painful electric shock.

She walked over to the door set in the corner of the small high rise that sat next to her car. The sounds of conversation and laughter carried through the night air. Sounded like a surprisingly good crowd for so late in the night. Shego gave the ship etched into the wood an affectionate rub before pushing the door open and stepping inside. She put on her most winning smile even as her eyes watered at the overpowering wave of smoke that assaulted her, tobacco and otherwise. A few faces looked up from their low lit tables to regard the newcomer before returning to their meals and discussions.

Shego added a sway to her hips as she sauntered over to the bar. More than a few eyes were glued to her, and she took note of their owners for later. She grabbed an open stool and rested her elbows on the bar. The man behind the counter, Howard, gave her a raised eyebrow as he finished polishing the glass in his hands. He was a solidly built man, and more than a few scars crisscrossed his face. Shego grinned.

"Hello Howard. Life been treating you well?"

Howard gave a vaguely positive grunt. "Well enough Miss Go. To what do I owe this rather unexpected pleasure."

"Information. Something im hoping you're still good for. Was a time even the tiniest rumour in this town went through your ears. "

Howard laughed and set a pair of glasses on the bar. "Still does you little brat. What do you want to know?" He asked as he grabbed an unmarked bottle from under the counter and poured its amber contents into the glasses.

"I'm looking to find someone." Shego grabbed her glass and sniffed it before taking a sip and setting it back on the counter. "Thought maybe you could help."

"Look in Kowloon. Damn fox has been causing trouble up there lately." Howard grabbed his glass and knocked the drink down in one go before pouring more. "Today's the best night I've had in weeks."

Shego blinked at him. "Fox? I was hoping you might have heard something about a certain redheaded pain in my butt being in town."

"My mistake." Howard shrugged. "I might have heard about that other girl's arrival, but beyond that, nothing. I put in a word with my regulars though. Odds are one of them are bound to know something. Best I can do for ya."

"Well," Shego smirked crookedly at Howard. "Since I'll have to take a rain check on that, I have to admit, now you've got me a bit curious. Why don't you tell me what's so interesting about this fox of yours, hmm?"

"They call her Da Ji, superstitious fools," Howard turned his head and spat on the floor behind the bar. "Most of them aren't talking. At first everyone thought it was just a story, made up to cover a lieutenant's screw up for not protecting his place right, but then she hit another place, then another. She attacks in the dead of night, in midday, at dawn, at warehouses, labs, even some of their clubs, all without rhyme or reason."

"Sounds like some plain old vigilante," Shego said dismissively. "She'll slip up eventually and then that'll be the end of it."

"Then you'd better find her fast if you want to know her secrets. Like how accurate the stories of her dancing through the Triad members like the wind before striking with fists covered in foxfire really are."

Shego straightened in her seat and narrowed her eyes. "Well, now I see why you thought I'd be interested. Details?"

"Not many." Howard shrugged. "She's fast and agile enough that most of the boys don't see too much before they get knocked out, if they do at all. She apparently has a tendency to knock out the lights or cut the power before going in."

"That's great, but back to the fire," Shego prodded.

"She covers her fists in them, or she throws balls of the stuff at people. Burns blue like the ocean though, so I know it ain't natural fire. Dunno how though."

Shego frowned into her glass. "You said there was no pattern, but you and I both know there has to be one. One you know."

"You think very highly of me," Howard chuckled and shook his head, "but even I am not that good."

"Then I'll pay double your usual rates." Shego reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She fiddled with it for a moment before showing it to Howard. "So that's thirty-seven grand and change. Plus your guarantee that I'm the only one you sell it too."

Howard leaned back and took a deep breath."I'd be in a great deal of trouble were it to get out that I was selling information like that without taking it to the Triads first."

"My heart bleeds for you." Shego pocketed her phone again with a shrug. "I'm sure the Triads would be perfectly happy with me dealing with their problem for them. Besides, this is coming out of my bottom line, so take it or leave it, final offer."

Howard surveyed the room before he leaned next to Shego and whispered into her ear. "There is a Tong from America that has recently taken up residence in Kowloon. Da Ji appears to bear them a certain enmity and has been targeting them more than any other."

"How likely is she to hit them again?"

Howard slid a napkin across the counter. "Certain families dislike it when new blood try to shake things up. I'm sure if she's got any sense she might not know about the shipment that isn't arriving tonight at the warehouse at this address that doesn't belong to the Tong in particular. Of course, if she did know, I would say that might be her next target."

"Thanks." Shego grabbed the napkin, noting the account number under the address, and stuffed it into a pocket. "I'll transfer the money once I talk with the fox."

"You didn't hear any of this from me." Howard grabbed Shego's untouched glass and knocked it back as she got off her stool. He grinned and licked his lips. "Have fun."

Shego smirked at him over her shoulder. "You can bet on that."


	6. Chapter 6

Navigating through the labyrinthine maze of streets to get to her destination wasn't easy, and Shego once again offered her thanks to whoever it was that had first decided to stick a GPS in a car. She'd followed it across the bay and into Tsim Tsa Shui, to a side street a block or so past Jordan Road. Surprisingly enough there wasn't much traffic despite being one of the busier ports in the world.

Shego reached down and thumbed a switch under the dash as she turned the corner. The car shivered as the experimental thermoptic camouflage and sound suppressors activated. It was one of the few things that Drakken had developed, with the help of some stolen goodies of course, that actually impressed her.

She was tempted to whistle as she drove the car down the street. She parked it in an empty space across from the warehouse, which was practically crawling with goons. It couldn't have been more suspicious if the Tong had painted the walls in their colors. Shego shook her head as she reached under her seat and pulled out an unlabeled bottle. She popped off the top as she settled in for a long wait.

As the hours passed she found it harder and harder to fend off the jetlag and keep herself awake. Just as she was about call it quits and head back to Howard she caught sight of a flash of movement over the street. Her eyebrows rose as she followed the dark blur as it dismounted onto an unsuspecting goon.

"She's got style, I'll give her that," Shego muttered as she watched the masked woman demolish the security with ease.

Her eyes narrowed as she watched the woman ignite her hands. She could see where the comparison between them had come from, but Shego's glow was more than simple fire, which, despite the unusual color, was all Da Ji seemed to produce. As she watched through a pair of binoculars, a part of her kept sending up mental red flags over the way the bluenette was moving and fighting.

She waited until it seemed like the action had died down before stepping out of her car and approaching. Before she reached the door she ducked into the shadows. A group of girls, including one wearing a familiar hoodie, streamed out of the warehouse. They considered something between them for a few seconds before heading into the city.

Shego watched them until they disappeared around a corner. She stuck her hands into her pants pockets and ducked into the warehouse. She crept forward and stopped as she stumbled on the warehouse's remaining guards strewn across the floor. She'd also stumbled onto the sole reason she'd spent hours waiting in discomfort, after enough time even the best seats lost their appeal, about to go and make things much harder for both of them. The distance between Da Ji and the prone guard was closing quickly, and Shego silently cursed herself.

She stepped forwards and leaned against the the wall in a position that left both hands free before loudly clearing her throat. Da Ji's head snapped around and Shego's eyes narrowed as her hands ignited into blue flames. "Damn," she drawled with only slightly forced levity. "I know I've got a temper, but this is something else.

Shego raised a mental eyebrow at Da Ji's reaction. At a glance it seemed instinctive, but something about it seemed a bit too calculated to her. She could banter as well as the best of them though, even if her sense of humour was a bit more bitter than most. Nice to see that she wasn't the only one with a decent grip on reality.

"So, are you actually going to tell me why you're here," Da Ji said finally, "or do we have to play twenty questions first? Because I'm sure these boys' friends would just love to sit down and join us for a chat when they get here. "

"Damn, kitten's got some claws on her." Shego laughed softly as moved to cut off the easiest means of exit. Da Ji seemed to catch it too, her circling coming to a stop and her hands curling into fists, which Shego noted but pushed to the side. "Let's have a little talk then. See, I'm looking for certain someone, and I was hoping that you might know something."

"What makes you think I can help you?"

"Nothing." Shego shrugged. "Really, I just wanted an excuse to track you down."

Da Ji tensed up, her hands dropping down to her sides. Her bullet-proof vest rose up as she drew her shoulders back. Judging by how ill-fitting it looked, it was probably looted off some Triad enforcer. "Oh? I guess you found me, so now what?"

Shego raised an eyebrow then shook her head. "Not what you probably had in mind. Actually, I've got an offer for you. Help me find the person I'm looking for, and maybe I'll help you with a job or two. You know, tit for tat."

"I don't need your help."

"Please, as good as you think you are," Shego made a show of studying the vigilante and finding her wanting, "I'm sure there's someplace only a thief of my caliber could get into. Despite what you may think, you're definitely nowhere close to my level, Foxy."

"Foxy, cute." Da Ji seemed to relax as some of the tension eased out of her as she continued to banter with Shego. "You give nicknames to every girl you meet?"

"Just the annoying ones."

"I suppose I should feel insulted." Da Ji shook her head and reignited her gloves with a twitch of her wrists. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I have business to finish with, so could skip right to where you tell me what you want?"

"What I want? A nice house to start, plus a good looking husband, a healthy 401k, you know, what every girl wants."

"I thought that was fame and fortune."

"Ah ah ah," Shego waved a finger at Da Ji. "My turn to ask the questions. So, does any of that interest you?"

"What, fame and fortune? It's the middle of the night and I'm skulking around a warehouse beating up thugs in a mask; take a guess what I think about that. "

Despite the heavy atmosphere Shego barked out a laugh. "Oh I like you. Keep it up Foxy and I'll have to ask the Doc if I can keep you."

"I hope you're not expecting me to follow you home." Even with the mirrored lenses on the mask Shego could tell Da Ji was rolling her eyes. "Not gonna happen."

"Follow, kidnap, close enough. Sure you're not interested? I mean the benefits Drakken offers are pretty sweet, plus he's always open for some aggressive renegotiations." Shego grinned and shook her head. "Seriously though, glory doesn't interest you at all?"

Da Ji snorted. "Hardly. I'm not you; or your brother."

"Someone's done their research," Shego said as she glared at the vigilante.

"Of course I did. These," Da Ji's glove's left a trail of embers as she waved them through the air, "didn't just come out of thin air."

"Imitation? You know what, I actually am flattered by that."

"Are we going to spend all night playing twenty questions, or can we hurry this up before these boys' friends get here." Da Ji not so gently jabbed her foot into the side of the guard she had been approaching earlier. "Because I don't about you, but they aren't fans of mine."

"Killjoy. Fine, what do you know about Kim Possible?" Shego's eyes narrowed as Da Ji's head twitched. "You've been crawling around with the scum for a while, maybe you've heard something?"

"If she had any sense in her," Da Ji began, her voice thick with enough amusement Shego could hear it through the mask's audio filter. "She would have left long before I arrived here."

"That's the best you can give?" Shego arched an eyebrow and scoffed. "Something tells me you're being a little less than honest."

"Sorry, I've been rather busy trying to dismantle a gang to be out looking for a missing heroine. I'm sure she's capable of handling herself well enough on her own." Da Ji paused and gave Shego a sidelong glance. "Why do you care anyway? Out looking to settle the score with her?"

"Nope." Shego grinned. "I'm working on the side of the angels this time. Kimmie's little tech-dork hired me to track her down, if you can believe that."

"I-," Da Ji started to speak only to stop and shake her head. "No, that's actually crazy enough to probably be the truth." The masked vigilante turned her back on Shego as she began to loom over the unconscious guard. "I wasn't lying though. I haven't heard anything about her since I got here."

Shego sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Figures. That said, I'm gonna give a piece of advice. Coming from someone who's been there and done that, don't. I know he's scum, but trust me, it only ends up in shit for you later."

"You know nothing!" A snarl was just crossing Da Ji's lips as she began to spin around. The moment her attention was fully on Shego the guard on the ground snapped to life. His hand clutched a discarded pistol that rose and quickly took aim at the bluenette's back.

Shego opened her mouth to shout a warning even as Da Ji was already beginning to spin around, having caught the sudden alarm in Shego's expression. At the same time a bolt of verdant plasma left Shego's hands. Even so it was too late.

The thunder of the gun was deafening in the close confines of the hallway. Shego could see the impact of the bullets as they jerked Da Ji's body with each hit. The plasma engulfed the pistol, fusing the suddenly burning metal to the thug's hand. The sudden spray of red that painted the wall behind Da Ji made it clear that at least one bullet had managed to find purchase in unprotected flesh.

The vigilante dropped to a knee, clutching tightly at her chest, while the guard fainted from the pain of his hand. Shego spared him no thought as she rushed over to Da Ji's side.

The bluenette hissed as she looked at her wounds. She tentatively poked at the holes, counting both the front and back before relaxing slightly. It looked like they had gone straight through without hitting anything important. Lucky her.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Shego's face was pale, even moreso than usual. "Even if that bullet didn't hit anything important, you're losing a lot of blood."

Da Ji shook her head and forced herself to her feet. "No hospital."

"Are you insane?"

"Can't." Da Ji's words were clipped. Her eyes scanned the room before alighting on a fallen machete. Using the wall for support, she made her way over to it, leaving behind a streak of red. "Triads are everywhere. They'll know. I can't let anyone know I'm here. Too dangerous for me."

"You kidding me? Now's not the time for some self sacrificing bullshit! You're gonna fucking bleed out if you don't get those looked at!"

The bluenette grabbed the machete by the blade and held it up to her eyes before she twitched her wrists and ignited her blue flames. Shego tensed her muscles and let her hands drift free as she eyed the other woman cautiously. Shego was stunned as before the thief could react the bluenette pressed the now glowing piece of steel against her wounds. The air was filled with the scent of cooking meat as the the bullet holes were cauterized by the flames.

A moment later Da Ji tossed to warped blade onto the ground, staring defiantly at Shego with a hand on her hip. "There. Now I'm not bleeding out. You want to help, then you can take me to my safehouse. I've got medical supplies there. I'm assuming you drove here?"

"Yeah," Shego said quietly, "I parked across the street."

"Then let's go." Without another word Da Ji shoved her way past Shego and down the hall, stopping briefly to grab her bag before continuing outside. Her leg started to buckle as she stepped over one of the guards, her fall coming to a stop as a pair of arms slipped under her own. She glanced up and chuckled at the grimace on Shego's face.

"Keep laughing and I'll just let you drop," the thief warned. She helped Da Ji into the passenger seat before tossing her bag into the back. As she sat down and started the engine Da Ji was entering an address into the GPS. The bluenette let out a pained hiss as Shego backed over the curb and onto the street.

"I'm probably going to pass out before we arrive," Da Ji said through grit teeth. "But my room's on the seventh floor. Apartment number fourteen."

Shego glanced at her out of the corners of her eyes. "You're pretty trusting of someone you just met."

"I know you well enough to be sure you won't do anything."

"And just how do you kno-" Shego turned her head and sighed as she noted the limpness of her passenger. She wasn't wrong, but her statement just begged for questions. "Like whatever the hell you meant; 'I know you'."

Shego thumped her head against her seat. "I am so not getting paid enough for this."


End file.
